This is the extent of my holiday décor.  Thanks Lara and Neil for saving my butt.

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(That is quite possibly the lamest title ever)

So, last month when I was in Kentucky for the GE Momsperience, I visited the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft.  In the gift shop, there were some gorgeous leather cuffs with flowers made out of gemstones or crystals or something equally fabulous.  The problem?  They were $130.  (I’m sure they were worth every penny, I’m just cheap.  And I lose stuff.)

My versions aren’t *quite* as fabulous as the original, but they’re CHEAP (you could make your own for $5) and easy and I won’t feel bad when I lose misplace one of them.

You’ll need:

A leather cuff (mine came from the leather store, but you can get them at Hobby Lobby as well)
Leather dye (again, mine came from the leather store, but Hobby Lobby carries it)
Some sort of embellishment.  I like these stretchy rings because they’re easy to attach.  Mine came from Claire’s clearance and Rue 21.
Leather “string” to attach the embellishment (mine came from Hobby Lobby)

For the black cuffs, I used leather dye.  You swab it on and then buff it shiny once it dries.

For this one, I brushed the leather with olive oil:

And for this one, I used wood stain:

Once you’ve got your leather the color you want it, decide where you’re going to place your embellishment.  The stretching rings have 4 holes, so I just transferred those over to the cuff.  I (it was totally Macy) made the holes using a hammer and a nail.

There’s probably an actual leather tool for this, but I used what I had on hand.

Tie on your embellishment with the leather string, and you’re good to go!

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I did it.  I busted out my sewing machine.  I took the fabric I’ve been hanging onto for months, and turned it into pillows for my living room.  See?

I’ve got one more somethin’ somethin’ in mind for the long couch.  In my mind, it’s fabulous.  We’ll see how that translates to reality.

And then yesterday one of my favorite teenage neighbors came over for the day and we came up with this super simple (reversible) sling bag based on a cell phone pic she’d snapped.

I have to make a couple of modifications to the pattern piece and get it scanned and converted to PDF, but look for it soon!

You know what else I did yesterday?  I made a delightful leather cuff bracelet thingy.  It was inspired by one I saw in Kentucky, but that one was $130.  Total cost for mine?  About $5.

Look for that soon, too.

XOXOXO

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We haven’t done this in a while (a super, super  long while), and I have a few things I’m REALLY digging right now, so I though I’d share.  And they’re all (except one) available at your friendly neighborhood Target.  And probably WalMart, but I don’t shop there…it makes me swear.

#1: Lemi Shine

Are your dishes all filmy after the ban on phosphates in dish detergent?  No more!  I believe the directions say to use it in place of detergent, but I just sprinkle about a teaspoon in the dispenser and then add detergent as normal.

#2: Nicole by OPI glittery nail polish

Want the glitter toes look without the mess?  This stuff is for you.  It looks EXACTLY like when we’ve done glitter does with Martha’s glitter, but it’s a whole lot easier.  Don’t be alarmed after the first coat.  Add a second coat and you’ll be in good shape.  I just wish it came in more colors…

#3: CoverGirl’s NatureLuxe Lip Balm

I’ve been on a quest for the perfected tinted lip balm for years.  They’ve all been too shimmery, too runny, too glossy, too bright…  You get the picture.  I think this one by Cover Girl is perfection.

#4: Continuous spray sunscreen

If you’ve got a bunch of pasty blondes around your house like we’ve got around mine, you NEED this stuff.  I love that I don’t have to pin down 4 children and slather them from head to toe.  I can line then all up and spray and be done in a minute or less.  I also love that it requires pretty much no touching.  If you have a kid with SPD/Asperger’s, you’ll know why that alone makes this stuff worth it’s weight in gold.

#5: My Eclectic Whatnot camera strap cover

If you follow along on Facebook, you’ve already heard about this one.  Sorry, but someone dorky enough to buy a strap cover that matches their blog is also dorky enough to talk about it more than once.  Or twice.  I hear Ruthanne is closing up shop for the summer on July 1st, so if you’re needing one for yourself, you’d better get it soon.

So, what are you loving right now? 

***In the interest of full disclosure, I bought all this crap with my own money.  ***

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Well hello there.

Can I start with a little PSA?

Please, please, please ask your parents/grandparents/in laws if they’ve signed up for Medicare if they’re eligible.  The mess we’ve been dealing with the last week is unbelievable.  Fingers crossed that the Medicare interview this afternoon ends with some good news about it being retroactive.

Seriously…go call them right now.  Make sure they’re insured.  Please?

And now, the information you’re all really after:

JUNE SILHOUETTE PROMOTION:

Silhouette SD
2 packages tattoo paper
for $199

and/or

25% off of EVERYTHING in the Silhouette shop (excludes downloads and gift cards)!

As always, use code CRAP to take advantage of the savings.  Promotion runs June 21st – 29th.

The nice folks at Silhouette sent me some tattoo paper to play with.  In the interest of current life chaos, I made some tattoos.  The kids had a fabulous time with them, and I didn’t take any pictures.  I did have a little trouble with the machine not cutting all the way through the paper on the settings that pop up in  Silhouette Studio, even with double cutting.  I’d suggest increasing your depth just a little.

We also made BC some tattooed golf balls for Father’s Day, as seen on the Silhouette blog.

(If I did it again, I wouldn’t cut out the centers of the letters…that’s what caused the little black floaty things.)

I’ve got a couple of other ideas brewing with the tattoo paper, and (hopefully) I’ll be back sharing them later this week.  And if you’ve emailed me, I’m sorry.  I probably haven’t even looked at it yet.  Maybe today?

XOXOXO

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BC’s mom had a stroke this weekend.

I’ll probably continue to be scarce while we get that situation under control.

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Happy birthday to my sweet, sassy, brilliant, beautiful, hilarious Macy.

What would I do without you?

Probably lose my mind, that’s what.

(Bennett ran to find her at a school assembly)

(She’s the unofficial family/blog photographer.  I think she “gets” shooting in manual more than I do.)

God knew I needed you, even if I didn’t think I was ready to be a mom yet.

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Check your emails, because you are winners!

I’ve been running myself ragged solo parenting.

We’ve had broken dishes

(I don’t think he feels bad)

and fun with a watermelon and bowling balls.

(cleaning up = not as fun as the smashing)

Some of us are even making crap.

(origami courtesy of Macy)

I labeled a couple of water bottles with the old Silhouette.

That *almost* counts, right?

No?

Huh.  Maybe tomorrow?

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If your name is Michelle, check your email to see if you won the $50 Target gift card courtesy of Consumer Crew!

I’m hopeful that I’ll get to some actual projects this week.  School’s out and BC’s out of town.  Really…what else am I going to do? 

In the mean time, I’d like to point out that Father’s Day is fast approaching.  And, in case you haven’t actually thought about it yet, I’m giving you a suggestion:

Dad’s like sunflower seeds, right?  Mine did.  A LOT.  In my mind, sunflower seeds will always be a manly, summertime snack.  Maybe it’s the part where you get to spit out the shells?

Let me introduce you to Interstate Bait.

From Interstate Bait:

It’s hard to find a healthy snack that delivers on flavor, too. Flax seeds are good for you…but they taste like flax seeds. It’s no secret that sunflower seeds are an incredible source of goods, including folate and phytochemicals, among other nutrients. And lucky for you, we’re all about flavor.
Each batch of Interstate Bait seeds is seasoned by hand in small, controlled batches, ensuring that every seed is exposed to maximum flavor. The process makes for a flavor experience more savory than you thought possible. With 17 amazing flavors, we’re confident we can please any snacker.

I haven’t tried the sunflower seeds yet (my order’s on it’s way), but we’ve got some connections and had them roast our pumpkin seeds a few years back. They were FABULOUS. There was one flavor with garlic that I hid and ate when no one else was around. (I’m sure the garlic breath didn’t give anything away, right?)

What’s in it for you?

First of all, if you eat enough of them, you might end up as cool as this guy:

(You know…the kind of guy that harasses his neighbor with a craft blog to make him a “feed bag” so he can spit his seeds without even having to pick up a cup.  If that’s not motivation, I don’t know what is!)

Second of all, Interstate Bait is offering all of you 10% off using code “crapisgood”…bwahahaahaha!  Go get your dad/husband/boyfriend/all of the above some for Father’s Day.  He’ll thank you for not getting him a tie.

And last but not least,

Interstate Bait is offering TWO lucky Crap I’ve Made readers a $35 gift certificate!

TO ENTER:

Click on over to Interstate Bait.  Have a look around.  Come back and leave a comment ON THIS POST saying which flavor of seeds you’d try first.

BONUS ENTRIES:

Like Interstate Bait on Facebook.  Leave a separate comment on this post saying that you did.

Follow Interstate Bait on Twitter.  Leave a separate comment on this post saying that you did.

***I’ll close this down on Thursday at noon MST to give the winners a chance to place their orders in time for Father’s Day delivery***

Disclosure:  Interstate Bait is providing the prizes for this giveaway.  I also received some seeds to try.

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